Matching management support systems and managerial problem-solving modes:: The key to effective decision support

This study investigates the impact of management support systems (MSS) on managerial decision-making. We hypothesize that the success of MSS depends on the extent to which they match with the problem-solving modes that are employed by managerial decision-makers. A problem-solving mode is a cognitive model that characterizes the problem-solving process of a manager. We test our hypothesis in the field of marketing by analyzing data of 38 management support systems. The results confirm our hypothesis implying that a demand-oriented approach to the design and implementation of management support systems is important for these systems to be successful. The demand-side perspective on management support systems developed in this paper offers help in analyzing and removing discrepancies between the demand and supply of decision support. Doing so will improve the impact of these systems.